Film Review - Superman (2025)
Although chaotic and lacking the emotional heft of the best Superman films, James Gunn’s reboot has just about enough entertainment value
Having recently written about Superman’s legacy as American mythology, I’ll spare you any significant eyerolling over how certain MAGA types have taken against the pro-immigrant stance inherent in writer-director James Gunn’s take on the Man of Steel. It has always been inherent in the comics, but that doesn’t seem to matter to MAGA.
Nor will I comment on the clear allegory of the Russia-Ukraine war in this film (it opens with news that Superman stopped a war between fictional nations very much modelled on that situation). Instead, I’ll simply state that the new film is bright, colourful, and happily light years from the joyless murk-fests of Zack Snyder. Superman (2025) proves a solid reboot of the series, albeit not one in the same league as Richard Donner’s peerless 1978 classic.
David Corenswet proves amiable in the lead role as Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman, sporting the red trunks that Snyder omitted, and a forehead curl that nods to Christopher Reeve’s definitive performance in the aforementioned Donner film. Corenswet and Gunn get that Superman isn’t a dark character, leaning hard into the Last Son of Krypton’s earnestly optimistic view of humanity. He is good through and through, just as concerned about imperilled squirrels and other animals (including scene-stealing superpowered dog Krypto) as he is about people. I’m not sure I approve of Superman saying “Dude” but perhaps I’m picking nits. Incidentally, Corenswet is the first Jewish person to play Superman, which is significant since Superman’s creators, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, are Jewish.
The plot? It’s rather all over the place. Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is none too pleased about Superman’s actions in preventing a war, since his arms company is selling weapons to the invading side. He plans to turn public opinion against the Man of Steel via, among other things, social media monkeys (quite literally). Meanwhile, Clark Kent is already working at the Daily Planet and in a relationship with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), who knows his secret identity. But despite his popularity, Superman isn’t the only superhero in business. The “Justice Gang”, comprising a wisecracking trio of Guy Gardner/Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Michael Holt/Mister Terrific (Edi Gathegi), and Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), are also engaged in protecting the planet.
The action comes thick and fast, with Superman preventing multiple catastrophes and fighting everything from dragons to genetically engineered metahumans and robots. At least, I think they’re robots. They work for Lex Luthor, amid an obvious allegory of ICE’s current actions under Trump (Superman is essentially “deported” into a “pocket universe”). But again, let’s avoid political comment, and indeed, further plot specifics. Suffice it to say, at least one major departure from Superman lore may prove contentious for some. Another significant (and amusing) cameo is doubtless present to set up another of Gunn’s planned slate of new DC Universe films.
In the supporting cast, we also get Anthony Carrigan as a metahuman whose precise role I won’t spoil, a ladies’ man Jimmy Olsen in the form of Skyler Gisondo, and an underused Wendell Pierce as Perry White. However, for my money, Rachel Brosnahan gives the best performance in the film, proving a worthy successor to the previous best-ever Lois Lane, Margot Kidder. One early scene between her and Superman, in which she interviews him in ways designed to challenge his actions, deftly leans into the screwball romcom factor inherent in their relationship. I just wish we got a bit more of it.
What the film lacks entirely is the emotional heft of the 1978 film, or indeed its 1980 sequel, and the much-underrated Superman Returns (2006). The new Superman is enjoyable enough but doesn’t hit the same dizzying highs of inspirational heroism, nor the same sense of poignancy in the way Superman’s actions in those films seem genuinely sacrificial. On the other hand, Clark Kent’s relationship with his earthly parents, Jonathan (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Martha (Neva Howell) plays a key role here, delivering an obvious but admirable your-choices-make-you-who-you-are moral of the story.
Snippets of John Williams’s famous theme are reworked in ways that, quite frankly, lack the exhilaration levels present in the original recordings. When they aren’t relying on this classic theme, composers John Murphy and David Fleming don’t make much of an impression with new material. Instead, they follow the depressing present scoring trend that minimises melody (a particular axe-grind of mine, and one I explore more here). This contrasts with John Ottman’s score for Superman Returns, which provided its own musical identity outside the John Williams theme.
There are plenty of other nits to be picked, but whilst it feels chaotic, for the most part, Superman is entertainingly upbeat. It isn’t afraid to lean into the more madcap elements of the comics, and is shamelessly optimistic, however unfashionable that may be to those who prefer the Snyder slogs. No masterpiece, then, but flaws notwithstanding, Superman does just enough to get a pass from yours truly, provided the film is approached with modest expectations.
(Originally published at Medium.)
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Thanks for another excellent review.